Cover for lawn mowers



April 30, 1963 P. E. KNUTH ETAL COVER FOR LAWN MOWERS Filed June 30.1961 ,INVE iTORS PAULl-LKNUTH EA'RL1F.-COLLI NS HERMAN J. SMITHATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflicc 3,087,585 Patented Apr. 30, 19633,087,585 COVER FOR LAWN MOWERS Paul E. Knuth, Rte. 2, Wat Bend, W

CommN.0akhnd,!ndHenmn .Slnith,752l N. Mohawk Road, both of Wis. 121,21389-2) Filedlune38,l96l,Ser.No.

ZCIaims. (0.1

This invention appertains to the protection of outdoor appliances, suchas power lawn mowers, iron the weather, whcnsuchappliancesamnotinnse.

Owing to the size of power lawn mowers, muchdiflicultyisexperiencedbyhouseholdersintheproperstoriug thereof forprotectionagainsttheelcments. Usually,thegarageisthelogicalplaceforstoraggbutduetothe area required for suchstorage, the mower interferes with the parking of the automobile in anormal sized garage. The weight of a power lawn mower prohibits the easypicking up thereof for carrying back and forth from a basement orcellar. Thus, a serious problem exists in theproper protectionofanexpensive piece of equipment fromtheelements.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the invention to providea portable cover for power lawnmowers,whichcanbeeasilyplacedonandremovedfiom the lawn mower and whichwhen placed on the mower will etfectively house and protectthe bodyofthe mower andallworkingparts,inclndingthemotor,fromtheelements, so as toinsure a long life to the mower.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a portable coverfor power lawn mowers which will be light in weight for handling and onein which there are no moving parts, thereby rendering the same simple tomanipulate to place on and of the mower.

Afunherimportant object ofthe inventionistheprovision of a cover, casingor housing, for a lawn mower embodyingatop walLsidewallsandoneendwalLallrigidly connected together and preferably molded, caseorstampedfromadesiredmaterialtoformauintegral one-piece unit, with aflexible apron closing the end of thecasiug remote fromtherigid endwallandhavingslots therein for receiving and snugly engaging the handleof amower,wherebyentranceofrainorthelikeintothe casingisprevented.

Astillfurtherobiectoftheinventionistoshapethewallsofthecasingsothatthesamewillblendtogethertofmrnaappearauceandtoefiectivelyshedtheelementsandtopermitapluralityofthecasmgsorcoverstobenestedtogethertosavespacedm'ingshippingandwarehonsestoring.

with these and other objects in view, the invention conskts in the novelconstructitm, anazgement andformationofparmaswillbehereinaftermorespecificallydescn'bedandclaimedandillusttatedintheaccompanying drawinginwhichdrawing,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved cover associated with apower lawn mower,

FIGURBZisalonsectionalviewthroughthe cover taken on the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1, looking in thedirectionofthearrowsthemowerbeingshownindottedlinesand FIGURE3isatmnsversesectionalviewthroughthecovamcasingtakenonthelineS-CiofFIGUREZ,lookinginthedirectionofthearrows.

R fa'ringtothedrawingindetalwhereinshnilar reference charactersdesignate partsthroughouttheseveralviewstheletter-CgenerallyindicatestheimprovedcoverorcasingforthebodyportionofapowerlawnmowerM.

Tlmpowerdrivmmoweruformsnopartofthepresmtinvenfiomandthesamecanbeofanytypeor charaeternowingeneralnse.Asillustratedthemower M includesawheeled bodyorchassis 5 having mountedthereonamotorfordrivingthecuttersnotshowmaud amanipulatinghandle'l.Themowercanbeofthetype inwhichtheeuttersaredrivenalonefromthemotor,orofthetypeinwhichthecuttersandthewheeisnre powerdriven.

'lhecoverorcasingcispreferablyofasizetoaeeommodatemowersofdifierentaizesandchatacters.Asillustrataedtheeoveroreasingchmludesacurvedtopwall8,.sidewalls9andanendwall10. TheendedgesofthetopandsidewaHsSandQremotefi-Omtheead'walllehaveformedthereonanmwardlyextending flangell.'lhecovercanbemadefmmanydesiredmateriaLsuchassheetmetaLplasticorthelikgand-itcanbenzoldedcastorstampedfi'omthismateriah'lhusthecover,withtheexceptionofoneendformsanintegral unit.Thecurvedwpwallmergesintothesidewalls9audendwalllitoformastreamlinedappeannceandtoeficctivelyshedminandthelike. Thewallsand 10 are also preferablyflared, outwardly and downwardly,andthisalsoaidsiuthesheddiugoftheelememsandpermitsthecoversorcasingstobenestedonewithintheotherduringshippingorwarehousestoring.

securedtotheflangellisaflen'bleapronlz. Theaproncanbesccuredatitsouteredgestotheflangell in any preferred manner,such as by rivets 13. The aproncanbeformed from rubberorlike material.The flexible apronnisprovided withoneormoreslits 14 extendingfromtheextremeloweredgethereoftoapoint short of the upper edge thereof.The slits preferably terminate intoopeningsls ofasize to receiveandsnugly embrace the handles 7 of the lawn mowm'. By havingthesIitsMthecoverorcasingcanbebodilyliftedofiofthelawnmowerandthehandlswillslidethroughthe slits.Ijkewisetheeovercanbebodilyplacedonthemowerbymovingthecoverorcasingdownwardover the mower with the handlessliding through the slits l4 andintotheopeningls.'Iheslitswilltendtoautomaticallycloseafterthepassageofthehandlestherethrongh soastoeifectivelypreventtheentranceofrainandthelikeintothecasing.

In actual practice, the flexible apron 12 can be sold without the slitsthereimandpurehasersofthecoverscanthenmaketheslitsandopcningsintheaprontosuittheparticulartypeofhandleouthemowerpurehased.

TofacilitatethehandlingofthecoverorasingQthetopwall8thereofcanbeprovidedwithabalehandlel6.Whenthecoversorcan'ngsarenestedforshippingorstoringthehandleslicanbeswungdownflatagainst theupperfacesofthetopwalls.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that wehaveprovidedacoverormsingforthebodyportionsoflawnmowersandthatthecoverorcasingwilleliectivelyhousethemowerandthoronghlyprotectthesameagainst the elements. As thecover completely envelopes thebodyportionofthemower,itcanbeseenthatthecoveralsoactsasaguardtopreventpersonsfromcominginmcontactwiththehotmotorofthemowerafterause ofthemower. Obviously, duetothelight weight ofthecover,thesamecanbeeasilyhandledbyapersonirrespectiveoftheageofsuchperson.

Asthecovercanberaisedstraightolfthemowerorstraightdownoverthemowenfllemanipulationoftheeoverisaneasyoneandtherearenomovingpartsto handle.

Changesindetails maybemade without departingfromthespintortheseopeofthisinvenuonbutwhat weclaimasnewis:

LAportable cover for power lawn mowers ofthetypeembodyingawheeledchass'sandating mainbodyportionincludingatopanendwalLtheedgesofthetop 3 and side walls remote from the end wallbeing provided with an inwardly directed flange, all of said walls andsaid flange being rigidly connected together to form an integral unit, amanipulating handle for said unit, said top wall being curvedtransversely and said side walls flaring downwardly and outwardly fromthe curved top wall, said end wall being flared downwardly and out:.wardly, and a flexible apron closing the end of the casing remote fromthe end wall having its top and side edges rigidly secured to theflange, said casing being shaped to conform to the mower chassis tocompletely enclose said chassis and said flexible apron having at leastone slit opening out through the lower edge of the apron and terminatingshort of the upper edge of the apron. said slit being adapted to receivethe handle of the mower, and said apron also having an openingcommunicating with the upper end of the slit for snugly embracing thehandle when the cover is placed over the chassis of the mower.

Y 2. A. portable cover for power lawn mowers of the type embodying awheeled chassis and a handle comprising a body portion shaped tocompletely house the chassis of the mower and including a top wall,depending side walls and end walls, one of said end walls being providedwith at least one slit extending upwardly from the lower edge thereof tosnugly receive the handle of the lawn mower as the body is placed on thelawn mower.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS419,942 Holladay Aug. 2, 1892 1,021,689 Lyon Mar. 26, 1912 2,490,250Boehner Dec. 6, 1949 2,708,927 Dixon et a1. May 24, 1955 2,190,414Rossow Apr. 30, 1951

1. A PORTABLE COVER FOR POWER LAWN MOWERS OF THE TYPE EMBODYING AWHEELED CHASSIS AND A MANIPULATING HANDLE COMPRISING A MAIN BODY PORTIONINCLUDING A TOP WALL, SIDE WALLS AND AN END WALL, THE EDGES OF THE TOPAND SIDE WALLS REMOTE FROM THE END WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INWARDLYDIRECTED FLANGE, ALL OF SAID WALLS AND SAID FLANGE BEING RIGIDLYCONNECTED TOGETHER TO FORM AN INTEGRAL UNIT, A MANIPULATING HANDLE FORSAID UNIT, SAID TOP WALL BEING CURVED TRANSVERSELY AND SAID SIDE WALLSFLARING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE CURVED TOP WALL, SAID END WALLBEING FLARED DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY, AND A FLEXIBLE APRON CLOSING THEEND OF THE CASING REMOTE FROM THE END WALL HAVING ITS TOP AND SIDE EDGESRIGIDLY SECURED TO THE FLANGE, SAID CASING BEING SHAPED TO CONFORM TOTHE MOWER CHASSIS TO COMPLETELY ENCLOSE SAID CHASSIS AND SAID FLEXIBLEAPRON HAVING AT LEAST ONE SLIT OPENING OUT THROUGH THE LOWER EDGE OF THEAPRON AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE UPPER EDGE OF THE APRON, SAID SLITBEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE HANDLE OF THE MOWER, AND SAID APRON ALSOHAVING AN OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER END OF THE SLIT FORSNUGLY EMBRACING THE HANDLE WHEN THE COVER IS PLACED OVER THE CHASSIS OFTHE MOWER.